Topic: Security

Google's head of Android security David Kleidermacher claimed in an interview that "Android is now as safe as the competition" on the release of the company's 2017 Android Security report, which seeks to reassure users that it is doing everything it can to protect them from malware and exploits. The problem is that Google can't secure the 2 billion Androids it claims as its platform.

The second day of Pwn2Own 2018 saw Apple's Safari exploited twice, with one team completing its attempt within the competition's 30-minute, three-try guidelines, while another group demonstrated a bug in four attempts.

The forensic tool known as 'GrayKey' has grave privacy and security implications, a report into the iPhone-unlocking tool suggests, as it has the potential of being misused by thieves and other criminals if the compact device is stolen from members of law enforcement.

FBI Director Christopher Wray has continued his fight to make it easier to defeat the encryption-based security of devices like Apple's iPhone, declaring in a speech at Boston College that these security systems could be designed in a way to help law enforcement agencies, as well as updating laws to keep up with changes in technology.

Account credentials for Apple's online services are being sold by online scammers for an average of $15.39, a report into stolen account sales on the 'dark web' reveals, but despite the seemingly low cost, Apple-based accounts appear to be priced more than individual user accounts for a considerable number of other online destinations.

A recent op-ed reminds U.S. citizens that Internal Revenue Service impersonators are out in force this tax season and, like last year and year before, some are looking to fleece unwitting victims by asking them to pay back taxes with iTunes gift cards.

Cellebrite offers its services to law enforcement for the welfare of the public, an executive of the security firm known for breaking the security of iOS and other devices claims in an interview, while also stressing the firm's tools are not a major risk to the privacy of iPhone users in general.

On Thursday the four major national U.S. carriers -- AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon -- revealed plans for a new authentication platform that could add an extra layer of security for people using apps on Apple's iPhone and other mobile devices.

Apple last week posted a new support document to its website detailing a few tips designed to help customers distinguish official emails from phishing attempts, the latter of which have become increasingly sophisticated in recent months.

Cellebrite, the Israeli security firm believed to have helped the FBI unlock an iPhone during the San Bernardino investigation, is claiming it is capable of bypassing the security of devices running iOS 11 and older versions, including recently launched hardware including the iPhone 8 and iPhone X.

Apple, Google parent Alphabet and Intel in letters to lawmakers on Thursday revealed a bit of background information concerning the recent airing of Meltdown and Spectre chip vulnerabilities, saying Intel notified U.S. cyber security officials of the flaws only after their existence was made public.

The heads of several U.S. law and spy agencies claim that smartphone buyers should avoid buying products from China's Huawei, since the company poses a risk of data theft and surveillance of users, but also are a danger to national security as well.

This week's publishing of the "iBoot" source code for iOS 9 can be traced back to a "low-level" Apple employee who shared it with a small group of jailbreaking friends -- and may not have wanted it to go beyond that circle, a report claimed on Friday.

Download aggregator MacUpdate briefly linked to three malicious applications masquerading as legitimate downloads for Firefox, OnyX, and Deeper, that not only install the apps, but also deposit a cryptocurrency miner on downloader's systems.

Data from Apple's iCloud service was used to identify, and potentially locate and arrest, the operator of the Kelihos botnet, a system notorious for its association spam networks and criminal conspirators, according to U.S. court documents unsealed on Monday.